Fiber processing method and device

ABSTRACT

Fibrous sliver is carded for separating it into its constituent fibers. A stream of gaseous fluid is advanced in a predetermined path, and the separated fibers are advanced in an other path which intercepts the predetermined path at an acute angle so that the direction of advancement of the fibers entering the predetermined path from the other path is altered at this acute angle in response to engagement of the fibers by the stream of gaseous fluid whereupon the fibers are straightened out and conveyed to a rotary spinning chamber.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Milan Chrtek Ceska Trebova; J aroslav Jires, Dolni Dobrouc; Stanislav Didek, Usti nad Orlici; Ctibor Doudlebsky, Usti nad Orlici, all of, Czechoslovakia [21] App1.No. 883,929

[22] Filed Dec. 10,1969

[45] Patented June 15, 1971 [73] Assignee Vyzkumny Ustav Bavlnarsky Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia [32] Priority Dec. 13, 1968 3 3 1 Czechoslovakia [54] FIBER PROCESSING METHOD AND DEVICE [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,210,923 10/1965 Schlosser 57/58.95 3,324,642 6/1967 Meimberg et al..... 57/58.95 3,335,558 8/1967 Doudlebsky et a1. 57/58.95 3,355,869 12/1967 Vorisek 57/58.95 3,360,918 1/1968 Doudlebsky et al. 57/58.95 3,360,917 1/1968 Kubovy et a1 57/58.95 3,368,340 2/1968 Barsukov et a1. 57/58.89 3,434,184 3/1969 Doudlebsky et a1.. 57/58.95 UX 3,439,488 4/1969 Bueil et al 57/58.95 3,487,626 1/1970 Rajnoha et a1 5 7/5895 X Primary Examiner- Donald E. Watkins Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: Fibrous sliver is carded for separating it into its constituent fibers. A stream of gaseous fluid is advanced in a predetermined path, and the separated fibers are advanced in an other path which intercepts the predetermined path at an acuteangle so that the direction of advancement of the fibers entering the predetermined path from the other path is altered at this acute angle in response to engagement of the fibers by the stream of gaseous fluid whereupon the fibers are straightened out and conveyed to a rotary spinning chamber.

FIBER PROCESSING METHOD AND DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the processing of fibers, and more particularly to a method of doffing and straightening fibers which are supplied from a carding roller to a rotary spinning chamber. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Rotary spinning chambers capable of spindleless or ringless spinning of textile fibers into a yarn are already known. For general background information concerning the operation of devices utilizing rotary spinning chambers reference may be had, for example, to US. Pat. No. 3,339,359 (Ripka et al.).

In one such device which is known from the prior art a channel communicates with the interior of the rotary spinning chamber onto whose collecting or slip surface the carded or separated fibers are to be deposited for formation into a yarn. A portion of the carding roller associated with this particular device projects into this channel and as the separated fibers leave the surface of the carding roller their direction of movement, and accordingly the direction of rotation of the carding roller, is approximately the same as the direction of gaseous fluid which streams through this channel in the direction towards the interior of the rotary spinning chamber, being aspirated into the latter by centrifugal ejection of gaseous fluid from the interior of the rotary spinning chamber through apertures provided for this purpose. The fibers doffed or released from the carding roller are thus conveyed by the stream of gaseous fluid usually airinto the spinning chamber upon entering the channel in which the gaseous fluid flows. This particular embodiment has certain disadvantages because, in consequence of the identical movement of both the air which constitutes the carrying medium for the fibers and the move ment of the carding roller, the efficiency with which the fibers are doffed or released from the surface of the carding roller is not satisfactory, An additional problem is the fact that with this particular construction the fibers -once doffed and being carried along through the channel by the air stream flowing thereindo not undergo satisfactory straightening and alignment in substantial parallelism with one another. They thus impinge in substantially nonparallel and at least partially kinked condition upon the slip surface of the rotary spinning chamber, and this causes the production of a yarn of inferior quality.

Attempts have been made to overcome this problem. One of these provides for having one end of the fluid channel in which the fibers are conveyed from the carding roller to the rotary spinning chamber, communicate directly with the ambient atmosphere and the other end communicate with the interior of the rotary spinning chamber which is under pressure. The carding roller again projects partially into this channel. This construction provides an improvement in the efficiency of doffing of the fibers and also in the straightening of the fibers on their way from the carding roller to the interior ofthe rotary spinning chamber. The reason for this is that with this construction it is possible to produce specific pressure relations in the channel, particularly in the area in which the removal from the surface of the carding roller takes place, However, even with this construction it is not possible to meet the ever stricter requirements with reference to the desired quality of the yarn.

Still other constructions are known but all of these suffer from certain disadvantages with respect to the efficiency of doffing of the fibers as well as straightening and obtaining parallelism of the fibers before they contact the slip surface in the interior ofthe rotary spinning chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of processing textile fibers, that is of separating the individual fibers of fibrous sliver and conveying them to the interior of a rotary spinning chamber for conversion into a yarn.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the novel method.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides, briefly stated, in a method of processing fibers according to which a fibrous sliver is carded for separating it into its constituent fibers. A stream of gaseous fluid is advanced in a predetermined path and a stream of the separated fibers is advanced in another path which intercepts the predetermined path at an acute angle, so that the direction of advancement of the fibers entering the predetermined path from the other path is altered at an acute angle in response to engagement of the fibers by the stream of gaseous fluid for conveyance into a rotary spinning chamber.

It is the essence of the present invention, therefore, that the carded or separated fibers doffed from the carding roller change their direction of travel at an acute angle when entering the predetermined path, that is the channel through which a stream of gaseous fluid moves to the rotary spinning chamber, and that to make this possible the carding roller in the area where it projects into this channel travels in a direction which is opposite to the direction of fluid flow through the channel. The wall means defining the chamber in which the carding roller rotates and defining the channel through which the gaseous fluid flows, also defines an edge at the intersection of the chamber and the channel, and this edge thus constitutes a transition at which the chamber in which the carding roller rotatesand whose interior wall surface defines a path for the fibers travelling along with the rotating carding rolleris the passage for the stream of gaseous fluid. Accordingly, the fibers carried along by the surface of the carding roller are doffed or removed from this surface as soon as they emerge above this edge into the stream of fluid flowing in the channel.

Because of the direction of rotation of the carding roller oppositely the direction of fluid flow, one end of each fiber being doffed from the surface of the carding roller is being released from this surface and streams in the direction of fluid flow in the channel, while the other end of the same fiber is still held on the surface of the carding roller. As a consequence, as soon as the leading end of the fiber is gripped by the stream of fluid, it is gradually bent, slipped over the edge and has additional portions of fiber appear over the edge and are still held by the surface of the carding roller, they become released. Because of this action the fiber is straightened in the direction of fluid flow by the time its trailing end is released from the carding roller. Thus, it assumes parallel orientation with respect to other fibers in the channel.

The fluid flow, that is the stream of' fluid through the channel, may be effected either by the presence of underpressure in the rotary spinning chamber or by positive pressure applied to an upstream or inlet end of the channel.

Under all circumstances it is the essence of the present invention that the direction of rotation of that increment of the circumferential surface of the carding roller which projects into the channel, and of the fluid stream travelling through the channel in the direction towards the rotary spinning chamber are substantially opposite.

The novel features which are considered characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic axial section through a device according to the present invention with nonessential parts having been omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIGS. 2-5 show different stages of conveying of the fiber and the configuration of the fiber during the process of doffing of the fiber from the surface of the carding roller and the orientation of the fiber for travel towards the slip wall of the spinning chamber; and

FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically speed differences in a given velocity profile of the spinning chamber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail it will be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies a housing of a carding device wherein there is tumably mounted a carding roller 2 which is driven in clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow Y by a nonillustrated drive. The carding roller is located in a cavity 11 of the housing 1.

Located adjacent the carding roller, rotating in the same direction as the latter, is a feed roller 3 which receives fibrous web and supplies it to the carding roller for separation into its constituent fibers.

A channel 4 is provided in the upper portion of the housing 1 for receiving separated fibers 5 from the carding roller 2 and for conveying them into the interior of the rotary spinning chamber 6 which is of the known type, for instance that set forth in the aforementioned US. patent. The channel 4 in this embodiment is connected with the ambient atmosphere at its outlet 41 and extends tangentially to the cavity 11. It is in communication with the latter approximately at its center, that is at the middle of the channel 4. The carding roller 2 extends with a portion of its circumferential surface into the channel 41 at the region 42. As shown in the drawing, the channel 4 tapers gradually in the direction to the rotary spinning chamber 6 and terminates in the sidewall of a cylindrical extension 12 of the housing 1, the outlet 43 of the channel 4 being so positioned that it confronts the slip wall 61 and the interiorlof the rotary spinning chamber 6 as illustrated. In known manner, the slip wall 61 extends to the collecting surface 62, and the spinning chamber 6 is provided with ventilating orifices 63 through which under the influence of centrifugal force during rotation of the spinning chamber 6, air is expelled to thereby produce an underpressure which serves to draw additional air through the channel 4 from the inlet 41 to the outlet 43 thereof.

It is diagrammatically illustrated that the spinning chamber 6 is fixedly mounted on a shaft 64 provided with a pulley 65 which engages a drive belt 9 driven by suitable nonillustrated driving means whose configuration is of no importance for the present invention. Bearings 6 and 7 turnably support the shaft 64.

An outlet channel 15 is provided through which yarn 10 formed on the collecting surface 62 of the rotary spinning chamber 6 from fibers supplied by the carding roller 2, is withdrawn to be wound onto a bobbin 101. The channel passes through the extension 12 and the housing 1 in the rota- "tional axis of the spinning chamber 6, adjacent one axial end of the roller.

The cavity 11 is bounded by a curved wall 13, and the transition between the cavity 11 and the channel 4 is defined by an edge 14. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the distance B from the edge 14 to the slip wall 61 is at least equal to the average length of the staple of separated fibers 5. This provides certain advantages as will be described subsequently.

As mentioned before, fibrous sliver 51 is supplied to the feed roller 3 which in turn supplies it to the surface of the rotary carding roller 2. This surface is provided with needles, sawtooth spirals of the like which, is well known from the construction of carding rollers. By engagement with whatever instrumentalities are provided in known manner on the circumferential surface of the carding roller 2, the sliver 51 is separated into its individual fibers 5 in the area C and these fibers are then conveyed by rotation of the carding roller 2 in the direction of the arrow Y towards the area 42. In this area the direction of movement of the carding roller 2 is opposite to the direction of fluid flow of air in the channel 4, the direction of fluid flow being identified by the arrow Z.

As shown in FIGS. 2-5, the individual fibers 5 assume-as illustrated-of all possible positions on the surface of the carding roller 2 a very disadvantageous position, in that they have the form of a hook with relatively long arms provided with the ends 52 and 53. In this position the fibers 5 emerge beyond the edge 14. When the fibers are located as shown in FIGS. 2-5, it will be the end 52 which first emerges from behind the edge 14 and accordingly is first seized by the airstream travelling in the direction opposite the direction of movement of the carding roller 2, namely in the direction Z. At this time the opposite end 53 of each fiber 5 is still on the surface of the carding roller 2. The end 52 is now already being conveyed through channel 4 by the air stream flowing therein and accordingly the fiber changes its direction of travel at an acute angle A as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 so that it is bent over the edge 14 in the direction of the arrow Z. This causes the fiber to straighten out in the channel 4 and to assume an orientation parallel to the other fibers in the channel.

Evidently, a great number of fibers undergoes this treatment at the same time but for purposes of explanation the action has been illustrated by way of a single fiber 5 only.

If the individual fiber 5 happens to have become deposited on the surface of the carding roller 2 in an approximately straight position, then the entire fiber is engaged simultaneously by the air stream if it extends transversely to the air stream-that is axially of the roller 2-and turned so as to be oriented lengthwise of the channel 4. If it is in hook-shaped configuration on the surface of the carding roller 2, then the end 52 is first deflected and as the end 53 emerges over the edge 14, it becomes separated from the carding roller 2 and assumes the straightened configuration already present in the end 52. If, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the distance B from the edge 14 to the slip wall 61 is at least equal to the average length of the staple of fibers 5, the front end 51 of the end portion 52 of the fiber is already on the slip wall 61 of the rotary spinning chamber 6 by the time the end portion 53 finally becomes disengaged from the surface of the carding roller 2. This assures that the once straightened fiber 5 cannot curl under the influence of inner forces active within the fiber.

The speed of circumferential travel of the slip wall 61 exceeds that of the surface of the carding roller 2, so that the fiber 5 is straightened and remains straightened during the whole process of transfer from the carding roller 2 to the slip wall 61, that is during doffing from the surface of the carding roller 2 and conveying through the distance B onto the slip wall 61. The fibers 5 slip in parallel condition over the slip wall 61 onto the collecting surface 62 of the rotary spinning chamber 6 where they become deposited and form a ribbonlike body which is then twisted into a yarn 10 in known manner, the yarn 10 being withdrawn through the channel 15 and being wound onto the bobbin 101.

The present invention assures highly advantageous aerodynamic and mechanical conditions for doffing of the fibers 5 from the surface of the carding roller 2, as illustrated by the speed profile shown in FIG. 6 from which it will be evident that there is a considerable difference in velocities Y and Z so that the fibers will always be straight intermediate the surface of the carding roller 2 and the slip wall 61.

As mentioned before, the stream of air through the channel 4 may be the result of underpressure prevailing in the rotary spinning chamber 6 because of centrifugal ejection of air from the interior through the apertures provided for this purpose, it may be the result of underpressure provided in other ways in the spinning chamber. or it may be the result of positive pressure by connecting a source of overpressure with the inlet 41 of channel 4.

Of course, other embodiments are also possible even though they are not specifically illustrated. Thus, it is possible to so locate the channel 4 that it is not connected directly with the ambient atmosphere but extends only from the carding roller to the spinning chamber. The effect intended to obtain with the present invention will be the same as in the embodiment which has been described and illustrated.

ltwill be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of applications differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a fiber processing device, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What we claim as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A method of processing fibers, comprising the steps of carding a fibrous sliver for separating it into its constituent fibers; advancing a stream of gaseous fluid in a predetermined path; and advancing a stream of separated fibers in another path which intercepts said predetermined path at an acute angle, so that the direction of advancement of said fibers entering said predetermined path from said other path is altered at an acute angle in response to engagement of said fibers by said stream of gaseous fluid for conveyance into a rotary spinning chamber.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of carding said fibrous sliver comprises rotating a carding roller in a predetermined direction with a first increment of the circumferential surface of said carding roller exposed in said other path and a downstream second increment exposed in said predetermined path; and wherein said predetermined direction of rotation of said second increment is opposite to the direction of said stream of gaseous fluid in said predetermined path.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, said paths being in part surrounded by wall means forming at the intersection of said paths an edge located oppositely the direction of advancement of said stream of gaseous fluid; and wherein the fibers of said stream of fibers are deflected over said edge in response to movement into the intersection of said paths.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, the fibers of said stream adhering to said circumferential surface of said carding roller during advancement in said other path; and said fibers having leading ends which are deflected over said edge in the direction of movement of said gaseous fluid in response to entry into the intersection of said paths and while the respective trailing ends still adhere to said circumferential surface, and the trailing ends of said fibers subsequently being deflected over said edge so that said fibers straighten and advance in said predetermined path.

5. A method as defined in claim 1,. said predetermined path having a downstream portion communicating with the interior of a rotating spinning chamber which communicates with the ambient atmosphere; and wherein said stream of gaseous fluid is aspirated in said predetermined path in response to rotation of said spinning chamber and centrifugal expulsion of gaseous fluid from the interior of the same.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, said predetermined path having an upstream portion; and further comprising blowing said stream of gaseous fluid into said upstream portion.

7. A spinning device, comprising housing means defining two paths which intersect one another at an acute angle; a carding roller having a circumferential carding surface partly projecting into one of said paths and partly projecting into the other of said paths; a rotary spinning chamber having an interior fiber slip wall communicating with said other path downstream 0 said intersectlon; means producing a flow of gaseous fluid through said other path across said intersection and toward said slip wall in a sense substantially opposite the direction of movement of that part of :said carding roller which projects into said other path; and feed means feeding fibrous sliver into said one path upstream of said carding roller for separation thereby and advancement to said intersection.

8. A spinning device as defined in claim 7, said wall means defining a deflecting edge for said fibers at a side of said intersection which is downstream with reference to the direction of said stream of gaseous fluid.

9. A spinning device as defined in claim 8, wherein said edge is spaced from said slip wall by a predetermined distance.

10. A spinning device as defined in claim 9, wherein said distance at least equals the average staple length of said fibers. 

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of carding said fibrous sliver comprises rotating a carding roller in a predetermined direction with a first increment of the circumferential surface of said carding roller exposed in said other path and a downstream second increment exposed in said predetermined path; and wherein said predetermined direction of rotation of said second increment is opposite to the direction of said stream of gaseous fluid in said predetermined path.
 3. A method as defined in claim 2, said paths being in part surrounded by wall means forming at the intersection of said paths an edge located oppositely the direction of advancement of said stream of gaseous fluid; and wherein the fibers of said stream of fibers are deflected over said edge in response to movement into the intersection of said paths.
 4. A method as defined in claim 3, the fibers of said stream adhering to said circumferential surface of said carding roller during advancement in said other path; and said fibers having leading ends which are deflected over said edge in the direction of movement of said gaseous fluid in response to entry into the intersection of said paths and while the respective trailing ends still adhere to said circumferential surface, and the trailing ends of said fibers subsequently being deflected over said edge so that said fibers straighten and advance in said predetermined path.
 5. A method as defined in claim 1, said predetermined path having a downstream portion communicating with the interior of a rotating spinning chamber which communicates with the ambient atmosphere; and wherein said stream of gaseous fluid is aspirated in said predetermined path in response to rotation of said spinning chamber and centrifugal expulsion of gaseous fluid from the interior of the same.
 6. A method as defined in claim 1, said predetermined path having an upstream portion; and further comprising blowing said stream of gaseous fluid into said upstream portion.
 7. A spinning device, comprising housing means defining two paths which intersect one another at an acute angle; a carding roller having a circumferential carding surface partly projecting into one of said paths and partly projecting into the other of said paths; a rotary spinning chamber having an interior fiber slip wall communicating with said other path downstream of said intersection; means producing a flow of gaseous fluid through said other path across said intersection and toward said slip wall in a sense substantially opposite the direction of movement of that part of said carding roller which projects into said other path; and feed means feeding fibrous sliver into said one path upstream of said carding roller for separation thereby and advancement to said intersection.
 8. A spinning device as defined in claim 7, said wall means defining a deflecting edge for said fibers at a side of said intersection which is downstream with reference to the direction of said stream of gaseous fluid.
 9. A spinning device as defined in claim 8, wherein said edge is spaced from said slip wall by a predetermined distance.
 10. A spinning device as defined in claim 9, wherein said distance at least equals the average staple length of said fibers. 